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Economy Minister Peter Altmaier made the call after Berlin's AI
strategy was faulted by researchers, entrepreneurs and investors
for lacking the vision and cash to sustain German industrial
prowess.
Critics say that U.S. and Chinese tech companies are leading the
way in deploying AI to automate office tasks, support autonomous
driving, or talk to a digital voice assistant.
"We need a kind of Airbus for AI," Altmaier told a digital
summit, referring to the 1970 launch of the European planemaker
that went on to make half of the world's airliners.
Germany plans to invest more than 3 billion euros ($3.4 billion)
by 2025 to beef up its AI capabilities.
But the federal government would spend only 356 million euros on
AI next year, according to a reply to a parliamentary question
reported by Handelsblatt newspaper.
"Artificial intelligence can't replace genuine political
action," said Konstantin von Notz of the opposition Green party.
Altmaier also urged the German auto industry to team up in
creating a mobility platform that would gather vehicle data that
could be used to train AI systems used in transportation.
"We are the classic motherland of mobility," said Altmaier,
calling on carmakers and railways operator Deutsche Bahn to join
forces and "put some horsepower on the street".
(Reporting by Nadine Schimroszik and Andrea Shalal; Writing by
Douglas Busvine; Editing by Alexander Smith)
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